Guide for alpha flush ball rod



Oct. 31, 1933.

F. A. HART GUIDE FOR A FLUSH BALL ROD Filed Oct. 24, 1932 /NVENTOF?. yFRANK/l. HART his ATTORNEY Patented Oct. 31, 1933 UNITED STATES GUIDE FOR A FLUSH BALL ROD Frank A. Hart, Dayton,

Ohio, assignor to Real-W2. Company, a firm consisting of Frank W. Schmackers, George .0. Guy, Thomas G. Haines, and Harley F. Young u Application October 2 1, 1932. Serial No. 639,223

10 Claims.

This invention relates to a guide for the rod of aflush ball, such as is commonly employed in flush tanks of water closets, and the like.

In the usual water closet construction the flush ball is provided with a rod which is mounted in a guide ordinarily supported by the overflow pipe, and which serves to guide the flush ball to its seat. These guides are subject to considerable wear, due to corrosion and friction, and it is frequently necessary to replace the same. Diffi culty has been experienced in providing a guide which could be utilized in any flush tank, this being due largely to the fact that the overflow pipes on which the guides are mounted vary in diameter and are spaced different distances from the center of the flush valve. Various attempts have been made to provide a universal guide but these attempts have not been entirely satisfactory due to the inability tosecure the proper adjustment of the guide to accommodate it to pipes of different sizes, to the expense of constructing the device and to other objectionable features.

One object of the present invention is to provide a guide oft-his kind which can be applied to a flush pipe of any standard diameter and which can be accurately positioned with relation to the flush valve. A further object of the invention is to provide such a guide which will be simple in its construction, inexpensive to build and which can be quickly and easily installed and adjusted.

A further object of the invention is to provide a guide of such a character that the guide memher which receives the rod may be of non-metallic material which will be little afiected by corrosion or friction.

Other objects of the device may appear as the device is described in detail.

In the accompanying drawing Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a flush valve showing my invention applied thereto; Fig. 2 is a section taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a detail of. the spacing element; Fig. 4 is a section taken on the line 4-4 of Fig. 2; and Fig. 5 is a sectional detail view of the guide member.

In the drawing I have illustrated one embodiment of my invention and have shown the same as applied to a flush valve of a well known type but it will be understood that this particular embodiment has been chosen for the purpose of illustration only, and that the device may take various forms and may be used in connection with flush valves of various kinds without departing from the spirit of the invention. 7

I have here shown the invention in connection with a flush valve comprising a valve member 6 secured to the upper end of a flush pipe '7 adapted to be mounted in the bottom wall of a flush tank. Rigidly secured to the valve member 6, in laterally spaced relation thereto and'extending upwardly therefrom, is an'overflow pipe 8.

The valve member 6 has in its upper end avalve.

seat 9 adapted to receive amovable valve member or flush ball 10. Secured to this flush ball is a guide rod 11 which extends upwardly through a guide arranged above the valve and is provided at itsupper end with an enlargement 12 adapted to be engaged by an actuating device which lifts the flush ball from its seat. The rod is preferably screw threaded into the upper end'of the flush ball so that it maybe removed therefrom for the purpose of inserting the same through the guide. The construction above described is of a well known type and the present invention resides in a guide for the flush ball rod 11. w This guide preferably comprises a supporting device having at one end means for securing the same to anupright supporting structure, such as the overflow pipe 8, and having at its other end means for supporting a guide member adapted to receive the rod 11 and adjustable with relation to the supporting device. The supporting device may take various forms but, in the preferred construction, it comprises a strip of flexible material 13, preferably of thin metal, bent upon itself to form an oblong band and having its ends turnedoutwardly to form lugs 14. A bolt 15 extends through these lugs to adjustably connect the ends of the flexible strip of metal one to the other. One end of this oblong band is adapted to embrace the upright supporting structure'oroverflow pipe 8 and becausev of its flexibility will automatically accommodate itself to structures or pipes of various diameters. The other end porition of the oblong band forms a socket adapted to receive a guide member 16 which is provided with an opening 17 to receive the rod 11. The guide opening in the guide member 16 is spaced from the center thereof. or eccentrically arranged, and the guide member itself is adjustable about a vertical axis, with relation to 'the supporting device, to position the guide opening different distances from the supporting structure or overflow pipe. In the present instance the guide member has a cylindrical body which is rotatable in the socket and has at its upper end a flange 18 which engages the upper'edge of the opening and holds the guide member against downward movement with relation thereto. Suitable means are provided to maintain the guide member a fixed distance from the main support or overflow pipe and this is preferably accomplished by interposing a spacing member or plate 19 between the overflow pipe" and the guide member, the ends of the plate being preferably recessed to fit snugly about the pipe and the guide member.

In assembling the device one end portion of the oblong band is placed about the overflow pipe and the guide member then inserted inthe other said supporting device,

end portion or socket of the oblong band The guide member is then rotated to position the guide opening 1'7 the desired distance from the overflow pipe. If this adjustment throws the guide opening out of line with the center of the valve the supporting device as a whole is moved about the overflow pipe, to a different radial position with relation thereto, to bring the guide opening into accurate alinement with the center of the valve. When this has been done the bolt 15 is tightened down, thereby drawing the band tightly about the overflow pipe and the guide member and clampingthe'guide member rigidly in its adjusted position and rigidly securing the supporting device as a whole to the overflow pipe. In this manner the device may be accommodated to overflow pipes of widely different diameters and the guide opening may be spaced various distances from the overflow pipe and accurately alined with the flush valve, and the construction is such that it is unnecessary to provide the guide'member itself with fastening devices, thus enabling the guide member to be formed of hard non-metallic material, such as porcelain, which is little subject to wear.

. While I have. shown and described one embodiment of my invention I wish it to beunderstood that I do not desire, to be limited to the details thereof as various modifications may occur to a person skilled in the art.

Havingnow fully described my invention, what Iclaim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent,is: v p i V 1.,A guide for aflush ball rodcomprising a rotatably adjustable guide member having an opening spaced from the center thereof to receive said rod, and a supporting device having means for securing the same to a stationarystructure and having a part to receive said guide member and clamp the same ,in adjusted positions therein. p g

I 2. A guide for a flush ball rod comprising a supporting device having means for securing one end thereof to a stationary structureand having a vertical socket at its other end, a guidemember. havinga vertical opening spaced from the center thereof toreceive said rod and: adapted to be mounted said socket with said opening'iri any one of a plurality of positions with relation to 3.'A guide for a flush ball rod comprising ja supporting device having one end adapted to engage a main supporting structure and having at its other end a vertical socket, a guide member mounted in said socket, adjustable about avertical axis and having an opening spaced from said axis to receive said rod, and means for securing said guide member in adjusted positions in said socket and for securing said supporting device to said main structurein adjusted posi-. tions about a vertical axis.

4 A guide fora iiush ball' rod comprising a: supporting device having at one end a part to embrace a main supporting structure and support said device in different radial positions with relation'to said structure, saiddevice having at v ing said supporting device in adjusted positions on said main structure and for securing said guide member in adjusted positions in said socket.

j 5. In a guide for a flush ball rod, a guide member adapted to be adjusted about a vertical axis and having an opening spaced from said axis to receive said rod, a supporting device having at one end a flexible portion to extend about and have clamping engagement with said guide member, said device having at its other end a flexible portion to extend about and have clamping engagement with an upright structure, and means to draw said flexible portions tightly about said guide member and said structure.

6. In a guide for a flush ball rod, a guide member adapted to be adjusted about a vertical axis and having an opening spaced from said axis to receive said rod, a supporting device comprising a flexible member bent to oblong form, one end portion of said device being adapted to receive said guide member and the other end portion thereof being adapted to extend about an up-' right structure, means to hold said guide member against bodily movement lengthwise of said device, and means to connect the ends of said flexible member and draw said member into clamping engagement with said guide member and said structure.

7. In a guide for a flush ball rod, an oblong bandoi iieible .material, one end of which is adapted to extend about an upright support, a guide member mounted in the other end of said band, rotatably adjustable with relation thereto and having an opening spaced from the center thereof, a spacing element arranged to engage said upright support and said guide member, and means to tighten said band about said support and said guide member and thereby secure said guide member to said support. 8. In a device of the character-described, an oblong band of flexible material one end of which is adapted to extend about an upright support, a guide member having a cylindrical portion rotatably mounted in the other end of said oblong band and having an opening spaced from the center thereofto receive said rod, a spacing element to prevent the movement of said guide member toward said upright support, and means to draw said band tightly about said guide member and said upright-support.

9. Ina guide for a flush ball rod, a strip of metal bent upon itself to form an oblong band and having lugs at the ends thereof, a bolt extending through said lugs to adjustably connect the ends of said strip of metal, one end portion of said oblong band being adapted to extend about an upri ht support, a guide member having a cylindrical body rotatably mounted in the other end portion of said oblong band and also having an opening spaced from the center thereof to receive said rod, and, a spacing member arranged toengage said guide member and said support and maintain said guide member a fixed distance from said support. v v

10. In a guide for a flush ball rod, a supporting device, and a guide member mounted on said supporting device, adjustable about a vertical axis and having an opening spaced from the center thereof to receive said rod, said supporting device having means for securing the same to an upright structure and for securing said guide member thereto in adjusted positions.

FRANK A. HART. 

